The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-08
Mr.. JOHN H. Imam
SAYS THE CULlOM-REAGAN IN
TERSTATE COMMERCE BILL
VIII. If II Becomes Law, Have the
Effect Of Restricting Inter-
state Commerce.

says mat among tnOse lntefeSteu
the development OF "The New South
much discussion is in progress n
gaIding the effect of the Cullor
Reagsn interstate commerce bill no
before Congress. Prominent amor
those thus interested in the bill in i
relations to the progress Of the Sout
is Mr.. John II. Inman, the Cotto
merchant, of this city. Though q nj
I'VE OF the South he has been prom
1T in finan cial circles in this city Il
nA tyyears as a pioneer of SoutheT
.won rises. He is essentially pra
sn.1iP n, and has sent from here
.,cst ma for investment at least $50
o cne coo TSu'' 'aturAlly he is much int
oeo,IUo \ 'thirg which promise
20 eo'eu fat n AN h, t section for GOO
~ ~ ~ 81 bs Ia, very decided view
oa ~ % no In commerce bill, an
expressed them quit,. 10. 80 anu a. .,
to a reporter Of the 4 " ~ es go:
In brief, he believes tn t TN, PU 'o,,
of the bill in ite present nth NJ
work much harm to the s. - ,
Inman speaks from the STAN 'p Sor -
the merchant and manufactn 'o,, ~
he holds fly shares of stock in L ' Sn.
featuring enterprises for every 81 %,
he holds in railroads, and is thus ve.
largely interested in developing coa.
and iron and cotton manufacturing in
that locality.
"Wbat do you think" Mr.. Inman
was esked, twill be the effect of the
passage of the interstate commerce bill
upon the manufac .uring interests in
the SOUTH"
~ have studied the bill carefully and
have concluded that the Cul!om.Rea-
gan bill has for its object the regula-
ZION OF interstate commerce., and fur
ther that there can be no reasonable
doubt that its effect will be to restrict
interstate commerce and TO sifis com
petition. This effect must eventually
result from the 80 called short and
long hsul provisions Of the bill, which,
in practically prohibiting cheap rates
on through or long haul traffic, strikes
at one chief element in the prosperity
Of every State and nation, the econ
omy Of transportation Of persons and
property"
"Have not the injurious effects apt
to follow the bill been brought TO the
attel ton of the national legislatcrs2"
"The United States Senators are not
ignorant Of the injurious effects OF this
provision. Their attention has been
called to the fact that its strict enforce
ment must in measure paralyze in
dustry and cripple production. La
the very able and exhaustive report
Of the Senate Committee will be
found the following remarks on the
subject OF prohibition TO charge more
for short than for long hauls: And
when the question OF proposed prohi-
bition is nsidered with reference to
The whole internal, commerce Of
the United States, and especially
with reference to the necessity Of
preserving the prevailing cheap rates
for long haul transportation, there is
re ason to fear that The result of strictly
enforcing the proposed regulation
would be to stfle competition in mum.
berless cases where it now exists and
is 10 the general public interest, and
perhaps to deprive the country Of the
benefit OF the low through rates with
eut practical or appreciate advantage
to Intervening points 1t is matter
of surprise that in the face of the light
the able chairman of the Senats COM
mitse hss thrown on the subject, aud
Notwithstanding the lengthy and ex.
haustive discussions that have taken
place In the Senate, the mischievous
short and long haul provision should
have been embodied in this bill. Con
gres will find that the people do not
want the enactment of meas
ure the enforcement OF which must
greatly retard the commerce Of
the untry. 1t will be found that the
farmer, manufsc .urers, miners and
merchants did not want a law that
prohibits railroads fiom furnishing
them cheap rates to ENABLE them to
ship to distant markets. 1t is certain
that workingmen who will be thrown
ont OF employment by reason of d.
minisbed business do not wish any
such law. That many railroads will
be bankrupted and many Southern
industries parslyzed by the enforce
ment oil this measure will interest the
people, but may not concern the legis-
lato 8, for instead OF looking upon
railroads IS the pioneers of civilza-
ton az d Christianity, it is understood
that they are now being regarded by
many as public enemies, who must be
put down by the strong arm Uf the
law"
"Would the injury wrought by the
pa sage of the bill be confined to the
South 2"
"No; the injurious eff c!s OF the
long and short haul provision will not
be cor fined to any section otthe coun-
try, but the South will suffer mott, for
it's mning and manufacturing inter
eets are still in their infancy, and be-
cause she ships ne early her entire crop,
as well as Amos every ton Of pig iron
and most Of her cotton goods, to dis
tsnt markets, and therefore is largely
interested in cheap rai es on long hauls
and must, for her future development,
have all the fostering care the railroads
can offer. The large production
OF iron in the Birmingham district has
been, in no small degree, the result Of
the very low rates at which the roads
have carried the iron to aud beyond
the Ohio river points where it fpds a
ready market. The South being
tparsely settled, it necessitates com
paratively high local rate for the rail
roads TO live; so when this bill be
comes law they must of necessity
advance through rates, t. correspond
with local, instead of reducing shor
hsuls to correspond with long, thu
greatly Tetsrdng he development Of
the country through which the roadE
run"
"B1t the bill makes provision fol
cases in which the operation might be
oppressive, does it not"
"Well, it may be said that II provides
an antidote for the great evil it creates
in the provision that gives the Com
missioners the author ty 10 suspend
the operations Of the objection abb
clsuse. This OF itself is an admission
that this provision is wrong in princi
pie and should not be kept in the bill
| 1t will not bs safe to rsly upon THU